Throughout these most recent Ponderings we have increased our knowledge of not only the Peace River Museum, but also of the people, who became its stewards and advocates.

Within a few months of the retirement of Dallas Wood in April 2006 and his move to a position with the Government of Alberta as curator Site Operations Culture and Tourism, Laura Gloor became Museum co-ordinator, having left her position of librarian at Peace River High School. As mentioned, she brought with her a wealth of knowledge about the area, as did Diane Gayton and Dallas Wood before her, all of whom shared experiences having lived and worked in the area for many years. She was ready to build on the foundation laid by her predecessors since opening in 1967. During her decade with the Museum, she instituted change and flowed with changes made.

The building of which she became steward – the one in which objects of interest and importance to the Peace River Country are stored and displayed underwent a name change in 2007. No longer was it the Peace River Centennial Museum. It became the Peace River Museum, Archives and Mackenzie Centre emphasizing the resources of the archives, as well as the choice of the Museum in 1993, by the Alexander Mackenzie Voyageur Route Association “as the Western Canadian Interpretive Centre for Sir Alexander Mackenzie”. For some, it remains the Centennial Museum.

The year 2007 also brought with it recognition from the Alberta Museums Association (AMA) as a recognized Museum – not without effort on the part of Laura and staff. The AMA describes a recognized Museum thus: “an institution that has demonstrated its commitment to public trust and service by applying to, and attaining accreditation from the Recognized Museum Program”. The recognition was good for a five-year period – to 2012, after which it needed to reapply. It did. Currently, the Museum is recognized until 2018. Then, the process will be repeated.

It was this year, the Stewart School, originally built on Duncan Stewart’s donated land in the Weberville area in 1919 and later moved by Peace River School Division #10 to Springfield School grounds in 1989 with plans to use as a learning resource. Plans did not work out and the school languished. Laura and Tanya Bell, Community Services director, proposed options for the historically significant building. One of the roadblocks they met was similar to one that blocked Peace #10 – the lack of grants because the building had been removed from its original site.

Two years later, in 2009, Dr. Dave Willox, with some assistance, took up the cause of moving the structure and transforming it into an educational resource. We saw a photograph of the 90-year-old log Stewart School being trucked along 98 Street with ATCO Electric personnel making certain the school and the electrical lines didn’t meet. It was on its way to cross the Peace River Bridge and up the West (George) Hill to a destination chosen by Dr. Willox to be used as a learning resource.

A welded iron sculpture, created by local artist Sonia Rosychuk graced the east grounds of the Museum in 2008. In it, Sonia melded aspects of our regional Aboriginal and pioneer history. She called it Smoke Signals, but encouraged the viewer to interpret the work she donated to the Museum as they wished.

The year 2008, Dallas in his role with the provincial government, contributed information for the Virtual Museum of Canada – Community Memories Website using more than 200 PRMAMC archival photos accompanied by explanations. The photographs may be seen in Peace River, 1780-1914: From Athabasca to the Last Great West and Transporting Northern Dreams: Steamboats on the Peace River, 1903-1930. The Virtual Museum of Canada (VMC) is a collaborative initiative undertaken in partnership with museums and other heritage organizations across Canada. VMC is administered by the Canadian Museum of History (CMH).

October 2008, the Museum hosted the launching of Heritage Trees of Alberta, published by the Heritage Tree Foundation of Canada. Libby Fairweather, project co-ordinator for the Heritage Tree Foundation of Canada, signed copies of the book. In conjunction with the book launching, a walking tour to the Burr Oak on what used to be Dr. F. H. and Mrs. Clara Sutherland’s home on 99 Street. The Sutherland Burr Oak, a designated Heritage Tree, is featured in this beautiful book. In addition to the tour there was a barbecue, sponsored by Norm Brownlee of Sustainable Resources Development and Daishowa-Marubeni International – Peace River Pulp Division – Pulp Mill.

Speaking of book signings in 2008, Don Pettit, well-known Peace Country author and photographer, signed copies in October of his latest book The Peace: A History in Photographs, a compilation of the most striking archival photographs from local archives throughout the Peace, including those from Peace River’s archives. As well, he created a DVD – The Peace: A Vision So Strong – an impressive collection of contemporary and archival photographs. It is a further look at the Peace Country he began in his 2001 publication The Peace: An Exploration in Photographs. Since then, Pettit has, in words and photographs, provided another book Power Shift: The hope and drama of monumental wind power.

By October 2009, three recently created projects were highlighted. They were ones in which Museum archival material was digitized. “Thanks to the fine skills of Jacob Gregory and Lennon Leikam, we now have, in digital format, two locally produced albums from 1949 and one recorded, originally, at CKYL in 1955. Plus, we have two digital photo albums created by Wendy [archivist] and Beth [researcher], as well as a virtual online exhibit created by Dallas Wood [about which we learned earlier]. This not only enhances public access to these rich resources, but it [also] ensures preservation of the originals,” quoted from a letter to the Record-Gazette during Archives Week.

Earlier that year, in February, the Museum, the Town of Peace River, and Northern Air Charter hosted the Spirit of Edmonton Project, a joint venture of the Alberta Aviation Museum and the Edmonton Aviation Heritage Society – 80th anniversary re-enactment of the Mercy Flight of Wilfrid “Wop” May and Vic Horner, Jan. 2, 1929. It was also to provide an awareness of the 100th anniversary of flight in Alberta and Canada. The Fort Vermilion venture was one of four re-enactments scheduled from December 2008 to August 2009.

The purpose of the 1929 northern winter flight – to deliver diphtheria antitoxin to Dr. H. A. Hamman in Fort Vermilion for him to inoculate residents of nearby Little Red River against the disease and thus, avert an epidemic. By the time the flyers, in their open-cockpit biplane – an Avro Avian, arrived in Fort Vermilion, one of the six or so affected by the disease had died. However, the antitoxin’s arrival in time thwarted the much-feared epidemic.

The 2009 re-enactment, carried out by Tom Hinderks, executive director Alberta Aviation Museum and Calgary pilot Curtis Peters, was hindered almost every step of the way by the weather as they flew the blue, bone-chilling, open cockpit Kelly-D biplane, en route from Blatchford Field (the now defunct City Centre airport) to Fort Vermilion, approximately 1,000 kilometres, with stops along the way – some planned – some not. The one in Peace River was planned, but for an earlier date.

One of the stops before Peace River was to refuel and warmup at High Prairie. “The cold was now right through the gear and us,” writes Hinderks in his Spirit of Edmonton … Fort Vermilion Mercy Flight diary. “We were now watching each other for human factor problems – poor decision-making, slow reactions, shaking etc. This run was only about an hour, and we flew as fast, as safe in the biplane, arriving before legal sunset. Peace River greeted us with a fantastic reception – several hundred people, Mounties in Red Serge, wonderful cake and displays – the whole North sure knows how to throw a reception.”

Although Hinderks and Peters arrived safely in Peace River, their health suffered in the form of hypothermia from the cold, humid air they experienced. As a result, they were in no condition for their journey to Fort Vermilion. They however, made it, but not in the open cockpit Kelly-D, which remained in the care of Northern Air Charter.